Argentina abandons pact with UK over disputed islands, demands resumption of talks over sovereignty

The Argentinean government has withdrawn from a cooperation pact with the United Kingdom and has called for new talks with London over the sovereignty of the disputed Malvinas Islands, a move that has drawn intense criticism from the UK government.

The Argentinean foreign ministry announced on Thursday the government’s plans to resume negotiations and revisit its claim over the islands, known as the Falkland Islands in Britain, which have been the bone of contention between Buenos Aires and London since 1982.

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero "formulated a proposal to restart negotiations for sovereignty over the Falklands Question" in a meeting with his British counterpart James Cleverly during the G20 talks in the Indian capital of New Delhi, the foreign ministry said.

The Argentine government also invited the UK to "hold a meeting to settle" the debate at the United Nations.

After the meeting with Cafiero, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took to Twitter to criticize Argentina’s plan to start new talks over the disputed Islands, which London claims as a self-governing overseas territory.

“The Falkland Islands are British,” he wrote on Thursday, stressing that “Islanders have the right to decide their own future — they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.”

Cleverly’s views were also echoed by David Rutley, the UK’s minister for the Americas and the Caribbean, who called the Argentine government’s announcement “a disappointing decision.”

Argentina blasts UK military drills on disputed Malvinas Islands; summons envoy

Argentina has summoned the UK

The Malvinas Islands are situated just over 480 km from the Argentine coast in the South Atlantic Ocean. The UK has occupied the archipelago since 1833.

Argentina and the UK fought a 10-week war over the archipelago in April-June 1982, with the UK eventually prevailing with the help of its allies, notably Chile, which at the time was deeply hostile to Argentina.

The Argentinean government has periodically stepped up efforts to regain control of the islands, home to an estimated 3,200 people from 60 countries.

In 2016, the two sides agreed to disagree about sovereignty, but to cooperate on issues such as energy, shipping and fishing, and on identifying the remains of unknown Argentine soldiers killed in battle.

Last year, both countries marked the 40th anniversary of the 1982 conflict, which claimed the lives of 649 Argentinean soldiers, 255 British servicemen, and three women who lived on the island.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk